Signal-stand.



B. H. FLEAGLE.

SIGNAL STAND.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5.1911.

Patented Sept. 10,1918.

INVENTOR WITNESSES Z ATTORNEY m2 mums PETERS m, mmmuma. WASHINEYON. n. c.

ROBERT H. FLEAGLE, 0F GALVESTON, TEXAS.

SIGjN'AL-STAND.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 1Q, 1918.

Application filed June 5, 1917. Serial No. 173,029.

The common or usual manner of connect= ing the levers on the stand with the different blades of the semaphore stand is by means of pull rods, bell crank levers and links, which links are provided with fulcrums so that the levers may move in different planes.

The use of the different fulcrums, links and levers requires the expenditure of much energy in moving the blades to their proper position. This expenditure of energy is large when the stand is placed at a long distance from the lever or signal stand.

Therefore, in order toovercome'the disadvantages of the devices employed at present, one object of the invention is to provide a stand for the operating levers where in the use of surplus links and levers is avoided and to eliminate unnecessary fulcrums.

Another object is to provide levers with a connection wherein one fulcrum will serve for both levers by separating one of the levers and mounting one-half of the latter lever upon the full lengthlever.

A further object is to provide two levers operatively connected together and capable of independent action so that the motion communicated to the semaphore blades will avoid the unnecessary expenditure of energy in overcoming the inertia of heavy movable parts, and also to lessen the friction during the motion.

A still further object is to provide a stand wherein the operating levers have great leverage to move the pull rods and their connected semaphore blades, a stand that is simple and strong in construction,

consisting of few parts thus reducing to a minimum the liability to derangement, and one that is efficient and reliable under all conditions of service and operation.

The invention, broadly stated, comprises a stand having suitable feet and arms connected by a body portion, saidarms serving as a support for a notched quadrant, which quadrant is secured to the arms, a plurality of interconnected levers, one of said levers having a fulcrum or pivotal mounting with the body portion, another of said levers being formed in two parts, one part of which is provided with a connection with the first-named lever, said lever part being provided atone end with a segmental gear to cooperatewith the segmental gear carried by the other half of the lever, which latter half is pivotally mounted with its fulcrum in the body of the stand, the free ends of said levers extending beyond the stand being provided for connection with pull rods, that serve to operatethe several blades positioned upon a semaphore stand, and means operatively connected to the handled ends of said levers to cooperate with the notches in the quadrant to maintain the levers in predetermined positions.

One practical form of construction and assembly will be described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of a signal or operating lever stand and its connecting pull rods;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the stand with a part of the body portion removed to show the arrangement of the parts in their operative position; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the segmental gears carried by the two portions or parts of one of the levers.

In the preferred embodiment shown, a signal stand is provided-the same consisting of side members A and B having the legs 5 and 6 joining the body portion 7, and to the upper part of this body portion there are connected arms 8 and 9. The legs 5 and 6, as shown in Fig. 1 may be secured to the floor, indicated at A, by means of the bolts is obvious that the side members A and B of the stand are of similar or like constructi'on, said side members being suitably connected together and spaced apart.

At some convenient point adjacent the lower part of the body portions 7 of the side members, there are suitable apertures through which pass the pins 14 and 15,that serve as fulcrums or pivotal connection for the levers indicated at 16, 17 and 18. The lever 16 is preferably formed in one length, and has a portion indicated at 16" extending below the floor A. It is provided at its lower end with a suitable connection indicated at 19 so that the pull rod 20 may be connected thereto. The lever 16 is also provided with a latch 21 mounted adjacent the handle 22 of this lever.

The latch 21 may be of the usual type and construction and is provided with a bolt 23 that is adapted to engage, with the notches 12 formed in the quadrant 11 of the side member A. The lever 17 isa'lso. provided with a handle 24 and a latch, the handle of which is indicated at 25, and a latch bolt therefor at 26, which is also adapted to cooperate with the notches 12 formed in the quadrant 11 of the side member B.

The lever 17, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, is formed in two portions, the lower part being indicated at 18.- The'upper part 17 is provided with an aperture to cooperate with the pin 14 on which the lever 16 is fulcrumed, and adjacent this pin 14 and at the end of the lever 17 is a segmental gear indicated at 27. This segmental gear coeperates with a similarly lformed segmental gear 28 formed at the end of the lever 18, and adjacent the pin 15. g

The pins 14 and 15 serve to maintain the segmental gears 27 and 28 in mesh so that they may be operatively .connected together at all times. The lever 18 is provided at its lower end with a connection 29 which forms a pivotal connection for the pull rod 30.

, Thepull rods 20 and 30 pass through suitable conduits indicated at 31 and 32, which are provided with the usual stuffing boxes 33 and 34, as is customary in signal'work. The other ends of the conduits 31 and 32 are also provided with stufling boxes 35 and 36. The pull rods 20 and 30 pass-through these conindicated at 39 and 40 to which are connected the vertical rods 41 and 42. The semaphore stand carrying the blades 37 and 38 and the bell crank levers 39 and 40 are indicated at B. I

In order to provide for a more universal movement betweenthe ends of the levers 16 and 18 and the'pull rods 20 and 30, the links 43 and 44 may be employed as shown. As shown in Fig. 2 and also in Fig. 1, the lever 16 having its fulcrum orpivotal mounting at 14, enables the operator to move the pull rod 20 easily on-account of'the length of the two parts of the lever lying at each side of the fulcrum.

The lever 16, by means of the pin14 is capable of an independent movement, which does not disturb the levers '17 and 18. The lever 17 may also be moved independently of the lever 16, and when so moved the mo:

tionwill be communicated to the lever 18 by 3 means of the segmental gearsj27 and 28. Thus by means of the pin 14 a pivotal mounting is provided which in effect is a fulcrum for the two levers 16 and 17 and enables them to moveindependently with respect to 7 each other. The parts 14 and 15 are so positioned as to permit an equal amount of travel in the several levers with respect to their movements upon either side of these pins 14 and 15, that is to say the lever'16 is adapted to move through the same distance that the lever 17 does, while the lower end 16 is adapted to move through the same distance as the lever 18.

lVhat is claimed as new is:

1. A signal stand comprising a frame, a plurality of levers pivotally mounted therein, one of saidlevers being formed in two parts, segmental gears carried by each of the parts for cocperative engagement, one part of the lever being pivotally mounted on another lever, and the other being pivotally mounted upon the stand 2. A signal stand comprising a frame having notched quadrants therein, a plurality of handled levers pivotally mounted therein, one of said levers being formed in two parts, one part of which is connected to a full length lever on the same pivot, and capable of independent movement, the other part of 10 of independent movement, the other part of Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the the lever being operatively connected with the frame, the engaging ends of the two part lever being formed as segmental gears, means carried by the handled levers to cooperate with the notches of the quadrants to maintain the levers in a predetermined position, and pull rods operatively connected with the levers.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT H. FLEAGLE.

Commissioner 0! Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

